Reinforced check strap



' Aug. 22, 1961 c. R. MESSER 2,997,072

REINFORCED CHECK STRAP Filed Dec. 14, 1960 FIG. I

FIG. 3

FIG. 4 l

INVENTOR.

United States Patent Clice 2,997,072 yRElNFORCED yCHECK STRAP Chester R. Messer, Concord, NH., assignor to Page Belting Company, Concord, NH., a corporation of New Hampshire `IIiled Dec. 114,11960, Ser. No. 75,833 Claims. (Cl. 139-161) This invention comprises a new and improved check or lug strap for looms of the type having a reciprocating shuttle operated by a swinging picker stick. The invention is also applicable to lug straps employed for impelling the picker stick of such a loom.

Check straps are required to serve the double purpose of checking the forward movement of the picker stick when the latter has impelled the shuttle across the loom, as Well as the rearward movement of the stick following the impact of the shuttle on its return movement to the stick.

The problem of designing a check strap in the form of a flexible loop within which the picker stick swings is one which has engaged the ingenuity of textile engineers for many years. If the contact surfaces at the ends of the strap are not evenly engaged by the contact faces of the picker stick swinging within the loop, one edge or the other of the strap is stretched and the fibers broken so that the life of the strap is relatively short. When the bers are broken at one edge of the strap, the point of contact with the picker stick moves progressively down the face of the strap and the breaking process continues. Many attempts have been made to remedy this condition.

The present invention provides a new and improved strap which is free of the objections noted and has important advantages in economy of production and length of life in service. I have discovered that a reinforcing band of longitudinal strands loosely assembled in loop formation and having a half twist in each side portion may be produced at low cost and easily assembled in the strap, that such a band may be perfectly equalized as to longitudinal stress with the other components of the strap and that the reinforcement of the strap as a whole by reason of such twisted band results in an outstanding and unexpected degree of improvement in the service life of the reinforced strap.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

EFIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the reinforced strap,

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the reinforcing band as initially fabricated,

FIG. 3 is a similar View of the reinforcing band in condition to be assembled in the strap, and

FIG. 4 is a View in perspective of the outer plies of the strap in condition to receive the reinforcing band.

As herein shown the check strap includes in its structure an outer ply and an inner ply 11 of heavy leather, textile webbing, rubberized fabric or the like. For purposes of illustration it may be assumed that the plies 10 and 11 are formed from an integral band of leather having a circumferential groove 12 to facilitate folding in the manner shown in iFIG. 4 while maintaining uniform thickness of the resulting strap throughout its width.

The reinforcing band 13 is made endless by lapping its ends 14 and stitching them together. It comprises longitudinal strands disposed in parallel relation throughout their length and preferably having a loose transverse bond adequate to maintain them in band formation while permitting them to shift longitudinally in response to strain comes set.

Patented Aug. 22, 1961 encountered by the strap. The strands of the reinforc-j ing band may be of tire cord or nylon or even metal and may be held together by transverse threads or a sheet or' membrane of cellulose material.

Having produced the reinforcing band in the shape' shown in Fig. 2 it is next provided with a half twist 15'` and 16 in each side portion and this may be readily done by merely turning one end of the band inside out. The band in this condition may now readily be inserted between the inner and outer plies of the strap and cemented to either one of the concealed surfaces thereof. Before the cement dries the strap may be subjected to longitudinal stress whereupon the strands of the reinforcing band shifting upon themselves equalize themselves with respect to the longitudinal stress of the other components so that in practice `all three elements of the strap carry their full proportion of the load, a factor that contributes to long life of the strap in service.

In forming the half twists 15 and 16 in the reinforcing band or lemisous 13 it Will be apparent that the upper or lower edge of the band is shortened ascompared with the median zone of the band. As shown in FIG. 3 the lower edge is shortened and accordingly the ends of the loop assume the upwardly divergent relation that corresponds to the shape desired in the finished strap. The loose bonding of the longitudinal strands permits the band 13 to be readily shaped so that its ends may be made to diverge in either direction. This condition has been found to facilitate the longitudinal adjustment of the individual strands so that each strand and the band as a whole take up its full load in the operation of the finished strap. The components of the strap are subjected to a preliminary longitudinal stress after being assembled and before the adhesive bonding of the reinforcing band be- In this step the reinforcing band 13 conformed accurately to the contour of the outer plies between which itis enclosed.

It will be understood that the inner and outer plies of the strap may be united by folding at the lower edge of the strap as shown in FIG. 4 or formed separately and cemented together with the reinforcing band between them. They may be cut with curved contour so as to take a conical formation at both ends to accommodate the angle of the picker stick at both ends of its stroke. The reinforcing band 13 may be made endless by stitching its ends together as suggested in FIGS. 2 and 3, or it may be fashioned as an endless web by circular weaving machinery or the like.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail an illustrative embodiment thereof I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A check or lug strap for automatic looms, comprismg inner and outer plies of leather united in elongated loop formation and having an interposed textile reinforcing band of longitudinal strands connected to form a closed loop fitting between the inner and outer plies, having a half twist in each side portion.

2. A check or lug strap -for automatic looms, comprising inner and outer plies of leather united in elongated loop formation, in combination with an endless reinforcing band of substantially uniform width conformed in shape to the inner and outer plies, having a half twist in each side portion, being interposed between the two plies and equalized with them in respect to longitudinal V 2,997,072 3 4 15155011; DCOmbDaOD Wthan endosed reinforcing band relative longitudinal adjustment to accommodate operatof longitudinal strands loosely bonded to each other and ing stress in strap as awhole. cemented to the concealed surface of one of said plies with a halfr twist in each side portion of the band. References Cited in the tile of this patent '5. A check or lug strap comprising endless plies of 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS exble sheet material united in loop `formation and in- 2 145 78.6 B.,km 4 cluding a concealed reinforcing band of longitudinal 2256756 Bgwneyer SIS;- strands assembled 1n endless loop formation, having a half 4351749 Lesesne Feb.' lo: 1948 twist in each side portion'of the loop and being free for 

